entry
precision
/pɹɪˈsɪʒ.ən/Exactness, especially in measurement
From Latin prae (before) + Latin caedere / cidere (to cut).
from Latin praecisionem (nominative praecisio ) "a cutting off," in Medieval Latin "precision," noun of action
from Latin praecisionem (nominative praecisio ) "a cutting off," in Medieval Latin "precision," noun of action
from French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Latin praecisionem (nominative praecisio ) "a cutting off," in Medieval Latin "precision," noun of action
from French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin praecisionem (nominative praecisio ) "a cutting off," in Medieval Latin "precision," noun of action
from Latin praecisionem (nominative praecisio ) "a cutting off," in Medieval Latin "precision," noun of action
from French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Latin praecisionem (nominative praecisio ) "a cutting off," in Medieval Latin "precision," noun of action
from French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom French précision (16c.) and directly
+1 more sourcePrecision began life with a knife in its hand. In Latin, praecidere meant to cut off, and that physical chopping-down became a mental one: trim away the extra, leave only what matters. By the 1630s English had borrowed the French précision, and the word still smelled faintly of the workshop and the surgeon’s table before it settled into today’s calm, mathematical exactness. Its cousins are a lively bunch: precise, concise, incise, and decision all orbit that same Latin cutting root. So when a scientist wants precision, the old word is still doing the same job it did in Rome—getting rid of the loose ends, one clean slice at a time.
The Story
Precision began life with a knife in its hand. In Latin, praecidere meant to cut off, and that physical chopping-down became a mental one: trim away the extra, leave only what matters. By the 1630s English had borrowed the French précision, and the word still smelled faintly of the workshop and the surgeon’s table before it settled into today’s calm, mathematical exactness. Its cousins are a lively bunch: precise, concise, incise, and decision all orbit that same Latin cutting root. So when a scientist wants precision, the old word is still doing the same job it did in Rome—getting rid of the loose ends, one clean slice at a time.
Kin & Kindred
From 'prae'·before; in front of; beforehand
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'caedere / cidere'·to cut
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary